Starting Over - Ryu (open tag)

[Ryu Kobayashi]

"Take a jacket, Ryu musuko!"

The Japanese youth's mouth tightened but he said nothing. He snatched his jacket off the back of a nearby chair and rammed it into the black back pack emblazoned with what looked to be a well-worn pentagram.

"Where's the other bag we got for you?"

Ryu shrugged. "Couldn't find it."

"Ryu..."

"I'll look for it later, ok?"

He strode towards the door before she could respond but he could feel his mom's eyes boring into the back of his head all the way across the room...

Once he was outside the house - and around the corner of the road - Ryu dug out the jacket and quickly pulled it on. American weather was crap but then what did he expect? Everything even closely linked to his new world was crap... and top of that list - only marginally above the current weather - was school.

* * *

How in hell was he supposed to find his way to.... Ryu glanced down at the timetable he'd just been handed... room C25? This was dumb. No, it was dumber than dumb and he cursed beneath his breath (luckily in his mother tongue as a teacher walked past at that moment). Of course, asking for directions didn't occur to the Tokyo-born teenager as he'd soon slit his own neck with a spoon - a rusty one at that - than admit he needed help. He wandered slowly down yet another faceless corridor until he came to a door. He pushed it open.

"Je voudrais savoir obtenir au plus proche… " The man at the front of the class looked over to the door. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Definitely not art class and so Ryu quickly backed out again. The next door he tried was equally unhelpful and so it continued until he found himself before what looked to be the correct door.

He opened it...

A red-haired guy... and one who turned to face him. "Kobayashi Ryu," he stated, looking down at the back of his hand as he spoke, fingers extended. His eyes snapped up. "If you are sensei Jackson then I'm here to join the class..."

He had a feeling this was going to be one hellishly long morning...

* * *

Finally the luch bell sounded and Ryu strode towards the cafeteria. He'd already resigned himself to having some less than palateable choices but tomorrow he'd make surehe bought his own food from home... He collected some bland-looking vegetables from the counter and headed over to a vacant table alongside the large window.

Hunched over the plate his body language defied anyone to join him.

[Jude Sheffield]

The second day of school had arrived and Jude was less enthusiastic about being back. Sure she had caught up with a bunch of her friends but it was just another dreary day. Plus, Eddie wasn't even at school because he had to go to the clinic for a check-up, at least that was what his text said in the morning. Jude was missing him already.

Lunch rolled around and after a super boring class of just clacking away at the computer [although she did manage to check her MySpace page and was delighted she had a few hits] she was ready to get some fresh air. The moment she stepped out of the doors though, she regretted even thinking of getting out so on she went to the cafeteria.

Apparently the cold weather outside had led the students to congregate in the cafeteria despite its food but most of them were just chatting anyway. It also made finding an empty chair almost close to impossible. And the only seat available was by a boy who clearly did not mind that everyone avoided that particular table.

Biting her lower lip and bracing herself for the worst, she wished that Eddie would miraculously appear beside her so she wouldn't have to be alone with the angry looking boy. But no such luck so as she made her way to the table, she took deep calming breaths and carved a little smile so the boy wouldn't be so...upset if she asked to sit down beside him.

"P-pardon me...i-is it ok-kay if-f I sit here?" She stammered, tapping the boy on his shoulder gently.

[Ryu Kobayashi]

The food before him was inedible.

Fact.

He pushed the plate to one side and instead focused on the cereal bar he’d bought from the nearby vending machine. No way would he eat the school food again. Ryu valued his health too much to ever contemplate doing it again!

The tables around him filled pretty quickly and none of the students seemed inclined towards sitting with Ryu... and that suited him just fine! None, that is, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his scowl upwards slightly and on to the blonde-haired girl.

“You want to sit here?” he asked in surprise... Disbelief more likely. “ With me?”

He pushed the chair opposite him out with one booted foot. Wordless invitation that she could sit down. “ You are either brave or in desperate need of that chair,” he commented. Either way he couldn’t really deny her... could he?

Ryu muttered beneath his breath as he poked at the vegetables again. They had to have been boiled for the past hour at least! “Is this typical of food here?” He might have been simply talking out loud and to himself but Ryu realised that could also be taken as a question posed to the girl. Then again, she probably wouldn’t dare to offer an answer.

“What’s your name?” he asked. Might as well make a small attempt to be friendly... As friendly as Ryu Kobayashi was able to get, that is!

[Jude Sheffield]

When he turned, he wasn't so menacing but he did look a bit shocked. Which was a bit surprising to Jude but she left it at that. No use poking a hungry and what not. "This place is better than outside. It's freezing cold and usually my boyfriend would bring me a sweater but he didn't come to school so here I am trying to get a seat where it's warm." She babbled, a default for Jude when she was nervous. It was something she needed to work on.

His next words made her blush something fierce. She wasn't actually desperate and she was definitely not brave, hence the stuttering and the blabbering and it was very embarrassing just standing there but he seemed to finally relent and Jude breathed out a sigh of relief. Placing her bag on the floor next to the chair, she swept a hand under her skirt so it wouldn't wrinkle when she sat down. Once she was settled, she took out her lunch [today was mac and cheese with a mostly green salad and a power bar, most likely her mother's doing] and smiled when she saw her father had put in a bottle of grape juice as well.

Jude turned when the boy beside her spoke up again. The way he sounded the question didn't seem to warrant an answer so she kept quiet and worked on her lunch, smiling widely when she tasted cayenne pepper, something she loved on her father's mac and cheese. Again Jude turned when the boy spoke, this time she was definitely sure he was talking to her. Licking her lips, she held a hand up to shake his. Now that she had established that he was no longer a mean person, it was easier for her to be the cheerful person she normally was.

"My name's Jude. Jude Sheffield. What's yours?"

[Ryu Kobayashi]

She had a boyfriend. Typical. He couldn’t even share his lunch table with an available girl. Ryu’s luck was most definitely running against him. That said, her boyfriend wasn’t here right now... was he? His loss would seem to be Ryu’s gain.

He hesitated before grasping her hand and he released it pretty quickly. It didn’t do to be seen as being too friendly. Not when he wanted to surround himself with an unapproachable barrier. He didn’t want to be here in California... the US... or in this school... so he was determined to be as surly as he could manage.

“Kobayashi... Ryu,”he replied and the name was uttered in almost reluctance. His name had been virtually torn from him. “My first day,” he added. It was probably obvious that was the case.

He peered at the girl through his dark hair as it fell over his face when he hunched over the table. His gaze dropped to her meal. “What in all that is holy is that!?” he demanded. “It looks like... aah... “He wiggled his smallest finger. “... Kura... small worms.” He wasn’t sure what the English for ‘kura’ was but he was referring to maggots. She didn’t look like she would eat maggots...

[Jude Sheffield]

The quick handshake made Jude suppress a giggle. She didn't know what made him so...cautious she supposed but it was a bit silly to give such a quick handshake, like she was contagious or something. The fact that today was his first day made sense to Jude and she smiled, nodding. "I've been there. I'm still a bit new though I suppose." She shrugged.

His outburst made Jude jump slightly in her seat. The image of small worms swam across her mind as she looked down at her elbow shaped pasta and she squirmed. Biting her lower lip, she closed the lid and just grabbed her salad, her appetite virtually gone. "That was my favourite dish...um mac and cheese." She said quietly.

She tried chewing her salad and looked ahead, once again wishing Eddie was here. "You're not eating anything?" She asked the new boy.

[Ryu Kobayashi]

Ryu stared down at the mass of... worm-like things in bemusement. Kura... definitely they looked like kura. Jude snapped the lid closed on her lunch. Mac? He wasn't sure what that was as he'd only heard that word in reference to McDonald's fast food and it hadn't looked like anything on their menu. That said, Ryu didn't eat fast food himself and so may have easily missed seeing that meal. No... he would have remembered the maggoty look.

"I spoilt your lunch," he stated. Not a question. He knew he had. "As for me... he poked the boiled-senseless vegetables. "I am not sure *any*one would eat this. Tomorrow I shall bring something in from home." He dreaded to think what might be on offer in the school cafeteria come tomorrow. Maybe even some of that mac! No, he wasn't about to risk that!

"If you like you can have this," he added, pushing the sloppy mass towards Jude. Luckily he'd also picked up a bread roll and a small pot of honey. That would have to be enough to see him through the afternoon.

He glanced up at the girl, unable to miss the slightly distant look in her eyes. Thinking about her boyfriend more than likely. "Does he come to this school?" asked Ryu. "Your boyfriend I mean."

[Jude Sheffield]

His obvious statement was met with a little uncomfortable smile and she continued on her salad, facing her body away from the yellow gooey mess that had been her favourite meal. "Yeah, the lunch here isn't edible. I made the mistake of buying lunch the first day I was here." She shuddered at that memory. When he shoved the massively gross plate over to her, it took all of Jude not to shriek right then and there.

"I'll just stick to my salad thank you." She scooted away from the plate, knocking her container of mac and cheese on to the seat beside her. Thankfully none of it spilled. It was a short drop. She hurriedly shoved the container in her bag and ate her salad.

At the mention of the word boyfriend, Jude's smile returned and a blush colored her cheek lightly. Looking up, she nodded dreamily. "Eddie's a senior now. He couldn't come today because he had an appointment at the doctors." Sure, he hadn't asked her but she had no qualms in talking more about Eddie.

"Are you a junior here?"

[Ryu Kobayashi]

With the vegetables declined by Jude as well Ryu pushed the plate to the very edge of their table. There was no need for either of them to have to look at the gunky mess. It was bad enough simply knowing it was there!

"Yeah... I'm a junior. Back in Tokyo I would have been moving up to the next year but your classes are very different to what I am used to. It was decided I should start as a junior." Ryu hadn't been even remotely impressed with that idea, wanting nothing more than to quit school and as soon as he possibly could. Now, though, he faced the repulsive future of two more years in the virtual prison. Life sucked... BIG time!

"And you? You are junior or senior?" Certainly not younger than junior... of that he was positive.

Jude had been about to answer when a passing boy jostled into Ryu's back. He jumped to his feet, eyes flashing in anger.

"Bakayarou!" he snarled. "Are you blind or just stupid?" It seemed almost all of the other kids at school walked around with their heads in the sky!

[Jude Sheffield]

“Oh that’s harsh. I’m sorry.” She gave him an apologetic smile, not wanting something like that on anyone. Redoing school just because you had to move. For her, moving had been hard because she couldn’t see her friends as often as she wanted to but she was in the right class so that wasn’t an issue.

“Oh I’m a junior. I’m still sixteen unfortunately but out of that awkward stage in my life thank God.” She giggled lightly. She was starting to feel just slightly better about not finishing her mac and cheese and about Ryu but he suddenly barked out in anger, making Jude jump once again.

The boy in question walked off hurriedly and Jude was starting to second guess her decision to sit with this boy. Why didn’t she just trust her first instincts? But to leave now would be so rude and quite obvious so she stayed put, hoping someone…anyone would come over and rush her away from there.

“So…how are you liking LA so far?” She asked.